The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh spent the day in Birmingham yesterday, performing engagements across the city.
Arriving on the Royal train, Her Majesty and Prince Philip headed to the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry to open the dental hospital.
The university has spent £50 million on the project, which trains its dental students and treats members of the public.
Next for the Royal couple was a short service at the PALS war memorial, located just outside of the main train station, New Street. The Queen and Philip laid a wreath on the memorial, which to remember those who died working on the railways in the First World War.
The rain poured and The Queen carried a transparent umbrella with pink trim to shield her from the elements.
Following the renovation of Birmingham New Street Station and update to the city’s transport network, The Queen and Duke took a ride on a new tram which links the main shopping areas in the city centre. The couple named the tram, ‘Angus Adams’, after a councillor who died in 2012.
Her Majesty got to sit in the drivers can and was given a run-down of how the system works.
The tram will link Birmingham with neighbouring Wolverhampton, and is one of 20 to be put on the ground in the city.
The day ended with the official opening of New Street Station, which has received £750 million of a makeover. The Queen unveiled a plaque as some of the crowd shouted ‘God save The Queen!’
In his usual cheeky humour, the Duke cracked a joke about the Birmingham accent: “A train announcer was stood next to me and he said ‘Do you announce in a Brummie accent?,” revealed a worker.
“She said no and he responded saying ‘I suppose you’ve got to announce in an English accent so everyone can understand you.'”
